NASA's Artemis I: Technical issues scuttle Saturday's second launch attempt for moon mission
Mike Snider
Orlando Mayorquin
USA TODAY
Saturday brought another launch scratch for the Artemis mission.
Technical issues caused launch delays on Saturday and eventually robbed spectators in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and around the country of something Americans haven't seen in more than 50 years: a launch to kick off a NASA program to send humans to the moon. A similar situation unfolded during the first launch attempt on Monday, Aug. 29.
The space agency's attempt for a rescheduled launch of the crewless Orion capsule on Saturday afternoon was first halted about 9 a.m. ET as engineers began attempting to counteract a hydrogen fuel leak in the engine section at the rocket's bottom.
When the launch team could not successfully stop the leak, NASA officials scrubbed the Saturday liftoff at about 11:20 a.m. EDT.
The NASA rocket was set to launch the Artemis I mission on Monday from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the same launch site that saw the Apollo missions send humans to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s.
NASA then set Saturday, which had a favorable weather forecast, for the next launch attempt.
Graphics:After 50 years, US takes its first step back to moon with launch of Artemis I
Artemis is the first in a series of missions over the coming years with the goal of putting astronauts on the moon again and lay a foundation for sending humans to Mars, NASA has said.
The sky begins to clear before dawn, highlighting the Artemis-1 moon rocket at Launch Pad 39 at the Kennedy Space Center, in this view from Titusville, Florida on Aug. 23, 2022.
NASA Artemis I moon launch schedule
NASA has yet to determine a new launch window for the mission.
The mission around the moon and back is expected to take 39 days. Splashdown for the Orion spacecraft had been expected for Oct. 11, according to NASA.
